If this is your first visit, be sure to
check out the FAQ by clicking the
link above. You may have to register
before you can post: click the register link above to proceed. To start viewing messages,
select the forum that you want to visit from the selection below.

Weird Alarm Messages

A few weeks ago, I got a ZA alarm saying that,
&quot;av

.exe&quot;
wanted to access the Internet. As I had done nothing to trigger an Internet access request, and being unable to identify what program was requesting access, I denied access and checked &quot;remember&quot;. I subsequently did multiple virus and spyware scans, and came up clean. Since then, I periodically get ZA alerts to similar, but differently named programs, and I always deny and remember, with no ramifications, as far as I can tell. ZA Program Control now lists 11 of these strange entries. I would list them, but it's a real hassle finding the the characters, then copying and pasting them from charmap.

Re: Weird Alarm Messages

If you click on one of these strange entries, it should appear in the 'Entry Detail' box at the bottom of the Program Control > Programs list. Tell us where it lives. My guess is that it is not a nefarious program but rather a hiccup in your Zone Alarm database. Viruses typical use a seemingly benign or familiar-sounding name and not something to which your attention is drawn. What does cause me pause is there are so many each with a different name.

Re: Weird Alarm Messages

<blockquote><hr>BillC wrote:
If you click on one of these strange entries, it should appear in the 'Entry Detail' box at the bottom of the Program Control &gt; Programs list. Tell us where it lives. My guess is that it is not a nefarious program but rather a hiccup in your Zone Alarm database. Viruses typical use a seemingly benign or familiar-sounding name and not something to which your attention is drawn. What does cause me pause is there are so many each with a different name.
<hr></blockquote>

A possible clue might be that I recently installed AVG Anti-Spyware, altho' I can't recall if these occasional alerts started before or after the installation. One thing of note is that all of these weird filenames start with the letters &quot;av&quot;.

&gt;My guess is that it is not a nefarious program but rather a hiccup in your Zone Alarm database.

I recently installed ZA 6.5 on top of my previous version (contrary to ZA's advice). Given your guess, would it make sense to uninstall ZA, then do a clean install, followed by training.
Thanx, kk

Re: Weird Alarm Messages

From the data you've provided I'm pretty sure now your Zone Alarm database has got the hiccups. You need not uninstall your Zone Alarm firewall, just reset the database. Reset the database this way; you will lose your customizations and will need to reconfigure Zone Alarm.

1. Boot your computer into the Safe Mode. {Instructions if needed}
2. Navigate to the c:\windows\internet logs folder.
3. Delete the backup.rdb and iamdb.rdb files in the folder.
4.Reboot into the normal mode.

Re: Weird Alarm Messages

<blockquote><hr>BillC wrote:
From the data you've provided I'm pretty sure now your Zone Alarm database has got the hiccups. You need not uninstall your Zone Alarm firewall, just reset the database. Reset the database this way; you will lose your customizations and will need to reconfigure Zone Alarm.

1. Boot your computer into the Safe Mode. {Instructions if needed}
2. Navigate to the c:\windows\internet logs folder.
3. Delete the backup.rdb and iamdb.rdb files in the folder.
4.Reboot into the normal mode.
<hr></blockquote>

Did that, and have started the retraining with FF and TB. Then I got a dreaded weird Alarm Message that was trying to access the internet. I denied and remembered. was listed in the program tab in ZA before I deleted the database. No further alerts, altho' this doesn't mean a lot yet, as these weird requests occurred less than once a day.
kk

Re: Weird Alarm Messages

<blockquote><hr>BillC wrote:
Well keep us informed...you may need to do a 'clean' uninstall of Zone Alarm to remove what I believe is a corrupt file. I still don't think you've got a bugger in your computer.
<hr></blockquote>

Thanx for the help, Bill. However, it seems the problem is elsewhere. I uninstalled ZA, then installed a fresh copy and started the training. After about 10 minutes, I got another weird ZA message. I did not recognize the collection of symbols and letters as being the same as other weird alerts. I denied and remembered. I think I will have to live with this. It only happens occasionally, and denying the occasional weird file access to the internet does not seem to affect me adversely.

I will report back in a while with the number of future alerts, if any.
kk

Re: Weird Alarm Messages

If it is caused by Zone Alarm files, a 'clean' uninstall followed by a fresh install should fix it. Before you got to far in your training, you might want to try this to get rid of any potential corrupt Zone Alarm files.

Go into the start menu locate the zonelabs entry and right click on the uninstaller and select properties. Now in the target box you must add a space and then /clean to the end so that it looks something like this "C:\Program Files\Zone Labs\ZoneAlarm\zauninst.exe" /clean click apply and then OK. Next open ZA and turn off the load on boot option, then reboot and then run the uninstaller.This should get rid of all of ZoneAlarm. Now go to your windows temp folder and delete everything. Find the folder named Internet logs and delete it then empty your recycle bin.

Now install a fresh downloaded Zone Alarm firewall...do not use a file you may already have.

Re: Weird Alarm Messages

<blockquote><hr>BillC wrote:
If it is caused by Zone Alarm files, a 'clean' uninstall followed by a fresh install should fix it. Before you got to far in your training, you might want to try this to get rid of any potential corrupt Zone Alarm files.

Go into the start menu locate the zonelabs entry and right click on the uninstaller and select properties. Now in the target box you must add a space and then /clean to the end so that it looks something like this &quot;C:\Program Files\Zone Labs\ZoneAlarm\zauninst.exe&quot; /clean click apply and then OK. Next open ZA and turn off the load on boot option, then reboot and then run the uninstaller.This should get rid of all of ZoneAlarm. Now go to your windows temp folder and delete everything. Find the folder named Internet logs and delete it then empty your recycle bin.

Now install a fresh downloaded Zone Alarm firewall...do not use a file you may already have.
<hr></blockquote>

Bill, I did all that. However, the problem has reappeared. This time, I am just denying, but not remembering. After maybe 10 hours and three, or so reboots, there have been 5 wierd alerts, but none have repeated themselves. I appreciate your efforts on my behalf, but I am thinking that it probably is not the fault of ZA. Like a lot of problems in my life, I will try to live with this nuisance, and hope it goes away :-)
kk